Smokeless Tobacco Increases Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Researchers from the International Agency for Research
on Cancer in Lyon, France, reported that the use of smokeless
tobacco is associated with an increased risk of developing
pancreatic cancer. The risk was 67% higher in men who
used smokeless tobacco than among men who never used it.
The increased risk was limited to men who were also current
smokers. Small increases in the risk of cancers of the mouth,
pharynx, esophagus, and stomach were also seen in smokeless
tobacco users. The use, however, was not connected to
other cancers, such as lung, kidney, or bladder cancer.
Researchers confirmed that, overall, smokeless tobacco is no
less harmful than smoking tobacco.

The study, they said, "does not offer arguments in favor of
the use of smokeless tobacco products to reduce the burden
of tobacco-related cancer incidence or mortality." They also
said that the study "provides evidence of a carcinogenic effect
on the pancreas," but they could not determine from the data
if the risk of pancreatic cancer increased with the amount of
smokeless tobacco used.